Recycled Jewelry Key Chain

And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.  -Genesis 24:53 (KJV)

After I re-dedicated my life to God I found myself wanting to shine his light in everything. A tiny silver cross hung on my key chain but it was just wasn't enough. I wanted a larger cross to adorn my old key chain. I kept an eye out for cross key chains when shopping, but never found what I was looking for. Then I happened to remember an old sterling silver cross in the back of my jewelry box. I brought it out and gave it a polish. It's fairly large for a pendant, which is probably why I never wear it as a necklace. I enjoy looking at larger-sized jewelry, but never seem to choose it when dressing to go out. This cross was perfect for my key chain - just the right size, and very much the right price (free!). If you're ever looking to give your old key chain a boost, don't forget to check the back of your jewelry box. You just might find a hidden treasure there.

This post was featured at:

Linking up with these glorious blogs!

Sweet & Saucy Buffalo Wings

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 
-Romans 12:2 (KJV)

Buffalo wings. They're messy, saucy, spicy...and just plain yummy. I'm sure you already knew that. But did you also know  that they're pretty easy to make at home? Well, I've got a recipe for you. 

This is another recipe that you can make to your personal taste. I originally just tried it using Franks RedHot Wings Buffalo sauce, but when it's added to the other ingredients, it is not at all hot or spicy. If you want extra mild wings for you or the kids - that is the way to go. If you need a little kick, you can add some Tabasco sauce to the buffalo sauce (which is what I did the second time I made these) or instead try the Franks RedHot Wings HOT Buffalo sauce. I haven't tried the HOT Buffalo sauce, but I bet it's good. I'll be trying it the next time I make these.

Sweet & Saucy Buffalo Wings

adapted from here.

1/3 c. Franks RedHot Wings Buffalo sauce (or Franks RedHot Wings HOT Buffalo Sauce)

1/3 c. ketchup

2 tbsp. honey

1/2 c. butter

25 chicken wings or drumettes (thawed if frozen)

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Measure 1/2 c. all-purpose flour into a large zip-top bag. Dry each chicken wing well with paper towels and place into zip-top bag with the flour. When all the wings are in the bag, zip the bag closed and shake to dredge the wings with the flour.

Spray a large baking sheet with canola oil or PAM. Place chicken wings on the pan, mist wings lightly with canola oil and bake for 45 minutes. 

While wings are baking, combine the butter, hot sauce, ketchup, and honey in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. 

Dip each wing into the sauce and place back onto the baking pan. Spoon any extra sauce over the wings. Return wings to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes more to set the sauce. 

Some great side dishes to serve with hot wings are potato salad, coleslaw, garden salad, corn on the cob, fresh fruit, fries, or garlic bread.

***Click to Print!***

This post was featured on:

 

Linking up with these glorious blogs!

Pardon the Dust

I'm working on converting to a new design for the blog! I hope it goes smoothly, but please bear with me if there are some hiccups along the way. I hope to make it a cleaner design that is easier to navigate. Thank you for your understanding and patience!

Kitchen Tips and Tricks: Hot Potato

Colossians 4:6

King James Version (KJV)

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Who doesn't love a baked potato? Everyone I know LOVES a good baked potato. Of course, I don't think I've ever met a starch that I didn't like. My problem with potatoes? I live in the South, and I try to use my oven as little as possible to keep from heating up my house. And sometimes I don't prepare my meal plans in advance, so I'm throwing together a lot of dinners in 30 minutes or less.

Enter my old friend, the microwave. Microwave cooking isn't perfect by any means (nor do many gourmet meals come from it's spinning plate), but it definitely helps when you're in a pinch. My home came with a builder-standard GE Spacemaker 1000 watt microwave. This fall will be my microwave's eighth birthday and it's still nuking Lean Cuisines (and potatoes!) like a charm. 

For years though, I put up with tough over-cooked on the outside, not so cooked in the middle potatoes from my microwave for the sake of convenience. So one day I decided to play around with the cooking times and power levels. My potatoes and family are now much happier and a bit more photo worthy. Here's what I do:

Take your potatoes, wash them, and poke them with a fork or knife to let steam escape and avoid the terrible "exploding potato" phenomenon. (don't ask how I know) Place your lovely spuds in the microwave. I place mine directly on the spinning tray, no plate needed. Cooking times will of course vary for your microwave, but in my 1000 watt microwave, I cook two medium-large potatoes for 20-25 minutes at HALF POWER (power level 5). That is the tricky trick to this - do it for double the time, and at half the power. 

Let them sit for a minute or two once they're finished cooking, then gently place them in a clean towel, and roll them lightly on your counter or cutting board. It's similar to rolling a lemon or other citrus fruit to loosen up the juices, except you're fluffing up the insides of the potato a bit. Slice the potatoes open, butter the insides, and add the toppings of your choice. We enjoy sour cream, pepper, cheddar cheese and some green onions to accompany most meals, but will also make a meal out of a large chili and cheese potato with a salad on the side. 

How do you nuke your potatoes? Any favorite or unusual toppings?  

Comments are always welcome!

~This Glorious Day~

Linking up with these glorious blogs!

Praying for Your Child

Exodus 1:17

King James Version (KJV)

But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

I'm a pushover for all things nostalgic and antiquated. Even prayers. Prayers For Special Help has collections of prayers from out-of-print have been taken from out-of-print prayer and clergy textbooks. Their collection is very diverse and cover a range of subjects. For this post I chose to focus on Prayers for Children. The prayers are very sweet and enjoyable to read. 


Here are a few of my favorites:

A Child's Morning Prayer

Lord, I awake and see your light,

For You have kept me through the night,

To You I lift my hands and pray,

Keep me from sin throughout this day,

And if I die before it's done,

Save me through Jesus Christ, Your Son.

Look Upon a Little Child

Lord, look upon a little child,

By nature sinful, weak and wild;

O lay Thy gracious hands on me,

And make me all I ought to be.

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,

Look upon a little child;

Pity my simplicity

Suffer me to come to Thee.

O supply my every want

Feed this young and tender plant

Day and night my keeper be,

And every moment watch round me. Amen!

Bring Healing to Our Child

Lord, you love our child as You love all children,

Bring healing to our child who is not well.

Stay by his side and comfort him through this trying time.

Keep us ever mindful of Your loving presence

Bless us with Your powerful healing and comfort us also.

Thank You for hearing our prayer!

I pray that the Lord will bless you and your children today!

~This Glorious Day~




Linking up with these glorious blogs!

Where the Waves Crash

Psalm 65:7

King James Version (KJV)

Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.

Road trip! Summer vacation! Swimsuits, sun, and sand. Are you smiling yet? I am and I’m currently sitting at home just reminiscing about the trip. There is something so soothing to the soul about feeling the sand between your toes and listening to the rhythmic sound of the waves crashing to shore.

If you don’t mind, I’d like to share some photos from our trip. There is one thing that never ceases to amaze me - how many beautiful things God has given us to enjoy. The landscape across our nation varies so much that there is never a place where you can’t see the work of God’s hand. 

Psalm 69:34

King James Version (KJV)

Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.

Psalm 77:19

King James Version (KJV)

Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.

Psalm 80:11

King James Version (KJV)

She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.

Psalm 95:5

King James Version (KJV)

The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.

Psalm 78:27

King James Version (KJV)

He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

Psalm 139:9

King James Version (KJV)

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea

Psalm 104:25

King James Version (KJV)

So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.

~This Glorious Day~


Linking up with these glorious blogs!

First and Fifteenth

2 Corinthians 7:1

King James Version (KJV)

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

~This Glorious Day~


Linking up with these glorious blogs!

God is in the Details: Part 2 (Graduating Pre-K)

1 Chronicles 29:11

King James Version (KJV)

 Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.

He said they needed tape "blankets". 

I managed to hold back most of my tears at my son’s Pre-K graduation ceremony. One or two tears escaped, but I don’t think anyone noticed. He has grown so much this past year, both physically and spiritually. God has so been in the details.

My son didn’t attend preschool before this past year. I kept him at home with me, and for the longest I wasn’t even sure if I would sign him up for pre-k or just keep him home until kindergarten. I was trying my best to gauge where he was developmentally and socially, take into consideration what his desires were, and to make the best decision I could for him regarding his schooling.

Soon after he turned four years old I realized that my son was craving more activities, friends, and interactions with different people. I realized that aside from Sunday church and Mothers of Pre Schoolers club, he had never spent any length of time away from me, nor did he have the many other little skills required to prepare him for kindergarten such as walking or standing in a straight line, using a backpack, and listening to a teacher for an extended period of time.

With an excited squeal from my son, I enrolled him in the pre-k program at our church. I loved that they had Bible time and worship songs each day, and that the whole program is centered around God. He immediately showed more interest in learning about Jesus, reading, writing, counting, exploring – everything! Needless to say, it was the best decision I could have made because he absolutely thrived in this program.

When I picked up my son on the last day of school I found out that his teacher was retiring to spend more time with her new grandbabies. When I heard this I immediately thought about how my obstetrician retired right after my son’s birth. Once again I think that God placed the best people in my son’s life for just as long as he needed them to be there.

God hand-picked my son’s teacher and both my son and I absolutely adore her. She was a retired elementary school teacher who wanted to teach pre-k at our church where she was actually encouraged to teach the children God’s word as opposed to the public school where it was not allowed. I can’t think of a more qualified pre-k teacher to be blessed with. She knew exactly how to prepare the children for both elementary school and for a life in Christ.

God’s unfailing love and devotion to his children never ceases to amaze me. When we put Him first in our lives, we can always be assured that God is in the details – He even works behind the scenes.

~This Glorious Day~

Linking up with these glorious blogs!

Kitchen Tips & Tricks: Freeze Your Lemons!

Ephesians 3:17-19

King James Version (KJV)

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.

One thing that drives me crazy is when I decide to make a recipe on a whim (pancake night!), and it calls for fresh lemon or lime juice.  I’m not a fan of the bottled lemon juice for several reasons. The bottled juice doesn’t taste quite as good to me (big reason!), it comes with an expiration date so I’d have to keep up with that, and I’m more likely to use a tablespoon or two before it goes bad so a lot of bottles would be wasted.

Did you know there is an easy solution to this problem? Freeze your lemons! I keep three or four whole lemons and limes in my freezer at all times. Just throw them in a zip-top bag and into the freezer they go. When I need some juice or zest for my recipe, I simply take out what I need. You can let them thaw naturally, or if you’re in a hurry, toss it into the microwave for up to a minute. The lemons will soften up and the juices will be ready for your recipe!

You can also freeze lemon or lime slices on a tray before bagging them. Juice cubes work too! Squeeze the juice into an ice tray, freeze, and use the cubes as you need them or transfer them to a zip-top bag! You’ll never have to use bottled juice again!

Be sure to check out my blog each week as I’ll be having more kitchen and household tricks and tips!

~This Glorious Day~

Linking up with these glorious blogs!

Sweet & Spicy Asian Beef with Rice

Matthew 6:1

English Standard Version (ESV)

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

Oh Pinterest, you've done it again. So many recipes, so little time. I did finally get around to trying out a new one though. It's an easy, low-cost recipe that you can throw together on a busy night and it's adaptable to any taste. Like it hot? Add more crushed red pepper. Want it a little less sweet? Use less brown sugar. Serve it with white rice, jasmine rice, coconut rice, or even Asian noodles - it's your choice! What could be better?

Sweet & Spicy Asian Beef with Rice

Recipe adapted from here.

1 lb. lean ground beef

heaping 1/3 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp. sesame oil 

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

salt/pepper to taste

1 bunch fresh green onion, diced green portion only

Heat large skillet over medium heat; add 2 tbsp. sesame oil and brown ground beef and minced garlic. 

While the beef is browning mix together the brown sugar, soy sauce, ground ginger, and crushed red pepper in a medium sized bowl.

Remove from heat temporarily and drain any remaining grease. Return to medium heat and add sauce mixture. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Add salt/pepper to taste.

Serve over rice or Asian noodle of your choice, and top generously with diced green onion. 

**Click to Print this Recipe!**

Do you have any favorite easy weeknight recipes you'd like to share? Feel free to link to them in the comments!

~This Glorious Day~

Linking up with these glorious blogs!

First and Fifteenth

Psalm 103:17-18

King James Version (KJV)

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

~This Glorious Day~